Flexible electrical switch post



y 5 1955 P. H. CARTER ETAL 3,193,638

FLEXIBLE ELECTRICAL SWITCH POST Filed Oct. 26, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 22/I I I5 I4 I I l7 umz' FIG. 1..

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' 5 INVENTORS u :3, FIG. 2. PAUL H. CARTER E THOMAS E. MARION 29 I6RAYMOND L. MORSE 1 ATTORNEY P. H. CARTER ETAL 3,193,638

FLEXIBLE ELECTRICAL SWITCH POST July 6, 1965 Filed Oct. 26, 1962 2Sheets-Sheet 2 ul II|||I|\ IlllllillIllllll\llllllllIlIfIf/flflllllflflfllvflld/lx .1 In i II l iii it! r FIG 8. INVENTORSPAUL H. CARTER THOMAS E. MARION RAYMOND L. MORSE BY W FIG. 3.

ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,193,638 FLEXIBLE ELECTRICAL SWITCH POSTPaul H. Carter, Thomas E.. Marion, and Raymond L.

Morse, Baltimore, Md., assignors to. Universal Machine Co., Inc.,Baltimore, Md., a corporation of Maryland Filed Oct. 26, 1962, SenNo.233,416

9 Claims. (Cl. 200-61.41)

This is a continuation-in-part of our copending application for patentSerial No. 815,883, filed May 26, 1959, now Patent No. 3,070,833.

This invention relatesto electrical switches and it is more particularlyconcerned with an electrical device that can be inserted in anelectrical circuit to sense the presence or absence of an object.

A specific application of the invention is in connection with theoperation of a machine for manufacturing novelty ice cream products ofthe type disclosed in said copending application and the invention willbe herein described in reference to'such a machine although it is to beunderstood that such reference is to be regarded as illustrati-ve onlyand not by way of limitation.

An object of the invention is the provision of an electrical device ofthe type mentioned which is rugged, safe, long wearing and reliable forprolonged periods of use.

Another object of the invention is the provision of an electrical deviceof the type mentioned which is adaptable to machines of differentdesigns, but isespecially useful in a machine of the type described inthe application for patent referred to above.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear more fullyfrom the following description considered together with the accompanyingdrawing.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a machine of the type mentionedabove partly broken away which includes an embodiment of the inventionin the position it assumes when a receptacle is disposed on the loadingwheel in an adjacent receptacle holder.

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary portion of FIG. 1 showing the position of theembodiment when a receptacle is not present in the adjacent receptacleholder of the loading wheel.

FIG. 3 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a section along the line 44 of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a section along the line 55 of FIG. 3.

FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 3 of a modified embodiment of theinvention.

FIG. 7 is a section along the line 77 of FIG. 6.

FIG. 8 is a section along the line 88 of FIG. 6.

Referring with more particularity to the drawing in which like numeralsdesignate like parts, the embodiment is illustrated in conjunction witha machine for manufacturing novelty ice cream products, the constructionand operation of which is fully described in said copending applicationand, for the purpose of explaining the present invention, comprisesessentially a base structure 11, a horizontal loading wheel 12 havingadapter members 13 for receiving receptacles, such as the conicalreceptacle 14, confectionary dispensing units (not shown) for dispensingvarious items such as ice cream, crushed nuts, chocolate, etc., into thereceptacles, means for actuating the dispensers (not shown) and means(not shown) for intermittently rotating the wheel 12.

The performance of the machine requires the use of sensing devices inthe form of an electrical conductor post 15 attached to a stationaryhood 16 below the loading wheel 12 for detecting the presence or absenceof a receptacle 14 to be filled with confectionary material. Each ofthese posts is so provided and arranged that when the receptacle isabsent, as shown in FIG. 2, the post estab- 3,193,638- Patented July 6,1965 lishes electrical contact through the loading wheel 12 andcompletes a circuit (not shown) which holds the corresponding dispenserout of action. When the receptacle is in place, as shown in FIG. 1,electrical contact is broken and the corresponding dispenser is inoperative condition.

This form of switch may be made to control various functions. Forexample, it may be employed in a circuit to condition a dispensing unitfor actuation when a receptacle is present and to prevent such actuationof the dispensing unit when a receptacle is not present.

The embodiment of FIGS. 3 to 5 comprises a resiliently flexible tube 17of an electrical insulating material, such as of rubber or a rubber-likematerial, containing on its interior an electrical wire 18. One end ofthis wire is connected to a metal pin 19 of a cap 20 and the other endto a metal plug 21. The cap 20 has a flange 22 extending outwardlybeyond the periphery of tube 17. The plug 21 has a lower end shank 23adapted to frictionally engage an axial socket 24in a metal base block25. The lower end 26 of the base block is of reduced diameter andprojects downwardly through a pair of upper and lower bushings 27, 28,respectively, of an insulating material on the interiorrof a cylindricalmetal shell 29 such as of steel or other suitable metal. The outer endsof the bushings 2'7, 28 are flanged at 30 and 31, respectively, over therespective ends of the shell 29. The upper end of the shell 23 has aflange 32 which supports an annulus 33. The annulus has a centralaperture 34 through which the lower end 26 of the base block 25 passes.The downwardly facing annular shoulder 35 of the block 25 formed by thereduction in diameter of the lower end 26 abuts the annulus 33 whichacts as a bearing support therefor. The annulus 33 has a peripheralflange 36 which rests on the flange 32 of the shell 29. The lowermostexposed portion 37 of the reduced part 26 is threaded to receive jamnuts 38 and 39 to form a terminal for attaching the clip 41 of anelectrical Wire or cable 41.

The shell 29 is disposed in an aperture of the hood 16 and is securedthereto by suitable means such as the welds 42.

An electrical circuit (not shown) which includes the cable 40 and thewheel 12 as a ground will be open when a receptacle such as thereceptacle 14 is disposed in the wheel to contact the flange 21 of thecap 20 to hold the pin 19 out of contact with the wheel as seen inFIG. 1. The circuit will be closed, however, if the receptacle is absentand thereby permit the pin 19 to contact the wheel as illustrated inFIG. 2.

The embodiment of FIGS. 6 to 8 is similar to that of FIGS. 3 to 5 exceptthat the rubber tube 17 is replaced by a resilient steel coil 43. Theuse of a rubber tube has the disadvantage in that it is relativelyinelastic in the technical sense and, after prolonged use, takes aflexural set which affects its efficiency and effectiveness. Bysubstituting a highly resilient steel spring in relation to which theflexural stresses to be encountered are well within its elastic limit,this problem is obviated and the device remains useful, efiicient andeffective indefinitely.

A protective sleeve .4 of a thin plastic sheet material, such aspolystyrene, is disposed on the outer surface of the coil 43. Thissleeve not only provides electrical insulation but excludes dust, dirtand other foreign particles from the interior of the coil.

This second embodiment includes other parts similar to those of thefirst embodiment and which are designated by the same numerals tofacilitate the description, except that the shank 23 is substituted by agroup of resilient fingers 45 to increase frictional contact with thesocket 24; a feature which may also be employed in the first embodiment.

Having thus described our invention, we claim:

1. An electrical sensing device comprising a flexible resilient tube, ahead member secured to and carried by one end of the tube, said headmember comprising a flange extending laterally beyond the periphery ofthe tube, a pin of an electrical conducting material secured to andcarried by the head member, said pin extending outwardly and axially ofthe tube, a base block of an electrical conducting material secured tothe other end of the tube, said block having a portion extendingoutwardly from the tube and adapted as an electrical terminal, anddisengageable means electrically connecting said pin with said-block.

2. An electrical device as defined by claim 1 in which the tube is of arubber-like material.

3. An electrical device as defined by claim 1 in which the tube is inthe form of a coil spring of a highly elastic metal.

4. An electrical device as defined by claim 3 and a plastic sleevecovering the outer lateral surface of the spring.

5. An electrical device as defined by claim 1 in which the pin isconnected to the block by a flexible electrical wire, one end of thewire being fixed to the pin and an electrical plug secured to the otherend of the wire, said block having a sockettherein for frictionallyengaging the plug.

6. In combination with a machine having a fixed member and a memberspaced from and movable relative to the fixed member, said movablemember having an aperture therein adapted to receive and carry anarticle to be operated upon by the machine, a device for sensing thepresence or absence of the article in said aperture at a given stationon the fixed member, said sensing device comprising a flexible resilienttube, a head member com- 4 prising a flange extending laterally beyondthe periphery of the tube out of the path of movement of the movablemember and in the path of movement of a portion of an article disposedin said aperture and supported by the movable member, said portionextending beyond the aperture into an open area adjacent the movablemember, a pin of electrical conducting material secured to and carriedby the head member and extending into the path of movement of themovable member, a base block of an electrical conducting materialsecured to the other end of the tube and to the fixed member, saidflange being of a size to offset the pin from the movable member andprevent contact therewith when the flange is in contact with thearticle.

7. The subject matter of claim 6 in which the tube is of a rubber-likematerial.

8. The subject matter of claim 6 in which the tube is in the form of acoil spring of a highly elastic metal.

9. The subject matter as defined by claim 8 and a plastic sleevecovering the outer lateral surface of the spring.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,497,568 2/50Thacker 339-59 2,522,478 9/50 Clayton ZOO-61.41 2,573,139 10/51 Hoffman200--61.41 2,779,008 1/57 Quackenbush 33959 2,854,538 9/58 Bergman2006l.4l 2,896,037 7/59 Vossen 200-61.44 2,896,039 7/ 59 Sizemore20061.41

BERNARD A. GILHEANY, Primary Examiner.

6. IN COMBINATION WITH A MACHINE HAVING A FIXED MEMBER AND A MEMBERSPACED FROM AND MOVABLE RELATIVE TO THE FIXED MEMBER, SAID MOVABLEMEMBER HAVING AN APERTURE THEREIN ADAPTED TO RECEIVE AND CARRY ANARTICLE TO BE OPERATED UPON BY THE MACHINE, A DEVICE FOR SENSING THEPRESENCE OR ABSENCE OF THE ARTICLE IN SAID APERTURE AT A GIVEN STATIONON THE FIXED MEMBER, SAID SENSING DEVICE COMPRISING A FLEXIBLE RESILIENTTUBE, A HEAD MEMBER COMPRISING A FLANGE EXTENDING LATERALLY BEYOND THEPERIPHERY OF THE TUBE OUT OF THE PATH OF MOVEMENT OF A PORTION OS MEMBERAND IN THE PATH OF MOVEMENT OF A PORTION OF AN ARTICLE DISPOSED IN SAIDAPERTURE AND SUPPORTED BY THE MOVABLE MEMBER, SAID PORTION EXTENDINGBEYOND THE APERTURE INTO AN OPEN AREA ADJACENT THE MOVABLE MEMBER, A PINOF ELECTRICAL CONDUCTING MATERIAL SECURED TO AND CARRIED BY THE HEADMEMBER AND EXTENDING INTO THE PATH OF MOVEMENT OF THE MOVABLE MEMBER, ABASE BLOCK OF AN ELECTRICAL CONDUCTING MATERIAL SECURED TO THE OTHER END